DISINFO: The US tripled energy prices in Europe
SUMMARY
The European Union is grateful to the US for getting rid of its dependence on cheap Russian energy sources and for the tripling of its energy costs. One of the aims of the West's hybrid war is to demonise Russia in the eyes of the world community and to try to shift all the blame for this situation in the EU onto Moscow.
RESPONSE
The claim advances recurring disinformation narratives painting the US as the primarily reason behind economic difficulties in Western economies.
In 2022, the European countries actively switched to LNG deliveries partly from the US as a main alternative source of gas after the Russian decision to cut off gas supplies to Europe. After the outbreak of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian authorities destroyed the European trust in Gazprom as a predictable and solid partner. Throughout 2022, Russia deliberately cut the gas supplies to the EU.
Europe is facing an energetic crisis that is directly linked not to the sanctions or US intervention, but to Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine and its use of gas supplies as a weapon of war. The EU took steps “to secure the EU’s energy supplies, such as a gas storage regulation, a gas demand reduction regulation, the creation of an EU energy platform and outreach initiatives for the diversification of supply sources.” Russia is no longer a stable and reliable supplier and while Europe is indeed facing an energy crisis with diversification to other sources. Read here about the EU and the US sanctions explained.